Apparatus for dispensing and receiving rented articles

ABSTRACT

Machine for automatic rental of video cassettes. Cassettes are stored in a drum like magazine (32) and are made available at a dispensing slot (20, 22) after a user has identified himself by introducing a personal into a slot (12) and entered a unique personal code number on a keyboard (16) which the user also employs to enter the selection from the available video cassettes. On returning the cassette, the user again identifies himself and the machine verifies by reading a bar code that the hired film has been returned.

The present invention relates to automatic dispensing apparatus and isparticularly concerned with apparatus for automatic renting, as opposedto vending.

Automatic vending machines are of course already known and widely usedfor automatic dispensing of numerous consumable products. Theircontribution in increasing sales and reducing business overheads is alsowell appreciated. However, the known machines are all vending machines,accepting money or tokens in exchange for goods, but having no provisionfor receiving returned goods. As a result they cannot be used fordispensing articles which are available only for rental.

Video cassettes and discs, which have recently become very popular, havecreated a large market for renting rather than selling. The reason forthis is that each cassette is relatively expensive and uneconomical topurchase as most viewers will seldom wish to see a film more than once.The renting of such cassettes, on the other hand is a potentiallyprofitable business as each cassette can earn several times its purchasecost.

A difficulty in operating such a rental business has been the need towork unsociable hours since viewers will often wish to rent a cassetteand return it outside normal working hours. There is therefore a cleardemand for an automated renting machine but despite this it is believedthat no suitable machine for this purpose is available. Of course, withrental it does not suffice to dispense, it is important to record thewhereabouts of each article which has been dispensed for rental.

Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide an apparatus capableof automatically dispensing articles for rental and accepting returnedarticles.

According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus capableof dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles,comprising means for enabling a user to enter a unique identificationcode, means for verifying the code entered to inhibit dispensing tounauthorised users, means for enabling payment for rental to be made,means for enabling a user to select from amongst the articles availablefor rental, a magazine having a plurality of compartments each forreceiving a respective one of the articles for rental, means for movingthe magazine relative to a dispensing aperture to align with thedispensing aperture the magazine compartment containing the selectedarticle, and means for recording data indicating the identity of theuser and the selected article, the apparatus further comprising meansfor reading from the recorded data the article previously hired to anidentified user, means for moving the magazine to align with thedispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the articlepreviously hired to the identified user, means operative after insertionof the article into the compartment by the user to read a code on thearticle identifying the returned article and means for recording thereturn of the rented article when the article code corresponds with thatread from the recorded data.

It will be noted that in addition to the financial transaction carriedout by the apparatus, it is essential that the user should identifyhimself. In this respect, the apparatus differs from conventionalvending machines. Furthermore, a record is maintained of the identity ofthe user to whom each article is rented so that the article may betraced if not properly returned.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each user may only rentone article at a time and when the identity code is entered, it may beimmediately determined if an article is being rented or returned byascertaining if an article has already been rented to that user. It ispossible, alternatively, to allow each user to rent several articles,whereupon means may be provided to enable the user to select the mode ofoperation for dispensing or accepting a returned article and in thiscase the user must also identify the article being returned.

The means for entering a unique identification code may comprise anencoded card issued to authorised users, means for reading data recordedon the card and a keyboard for manual entry of a codeword, access to themachine being possible only when the codeword corresponds with the datarecorded on the card.

The money transaction may be performed in any of several known ways. Forexample, a coin freed mechanism may be provided, or tokens may be issuedfrom a counter. It is still further possible to employ recorded cards,such as used by some telephones, which are prepurchased and allow apredetermined amount to be spent before being made unusable.

The recording of data is preferably carried out on a programmablemicro-computer within the dispensing apparatus. It will be appreciatedalso that many of the functions of the machine can be performed underthe control of the micro-computer.

In the dispensing of video cassettes in particular, there is encounteredthe problem that certain films can only legally be rented to adults. Itis possible in the preferred embodiment of the invention to include acode on a card issued to a minor to inhibit dispensing of certaincategories of films, the latter being indicated by the code identifyingthe cassette.

Rental is usually carried out on a time basis and it is preferred thatthe apparatus should include a clock and that the data recorded shouldindicate the time of rental and the time of return.

It is also desirable that the apparatus include a display unit forconveying information to the user. This information may include promptsand may also display available titles or the price of each selection. Ifthe pricing is effected under software control and there is present areal time clock, then the pricing may be varied with the day of theweek, for example, to encourage rental during otherwise slack periods.

If the data storage is effected exclusively in computer memory, there isa danger that data may be lost in the event of power failure. It istherefore preferred that the apparatus should include means forpermanently recording at least some of the data, such means being aprinter or a magnetic recorder such as a cassette, floppy disc ordiskette.

The magazine for carrying the articles, that is to say the videocassettes, is preferably constructed as a cylindrical drum with aplurality of radially extending compartments for the individualcassettes. This construction is particularly advantageous because itenables simple accurate alignment of the compartments with thedispensing aperture in that the drum or preferably the motor driving thedrum may be fitted with a shaft encoder producing pulses as the drumrotates. The pulses can once again be analysed by the computer todetermine the cassette compartment aligned with the dispensing aperture.

The drum preferably has two radially spaced rows of compartments, inorder to make better use of the space available within the machine andthe dispensing aperture is preferably constructed as two separateapertures each controlled by a shutter.

It is advantageous to form the apertures in line with one another and toemploy as a shutter a sector plate pivotable between three position,both apertures being closed in one position, and a respective one of theapertures being open in each of the other two positions. In this mannera single actuator may serve to control the opening and closing of boththe apertures.

In order to rotate a large drum using a small motor, it is necessary toprovide a suitable transmission train. If a drive belt is employed thenthere is a risk of slipping which could lead to misalignment of theapertures with the dispensing apertures. Cogs are more reliable but thecost may prove excessive.

In order to mitigate this problem, it is preferred to secure to theouter circumference of the drum a toothed belt of the same diameter, theteeth pointing radially outwards. The belt may be secured, for example,by rivets. The teeth of the belt can now be directly engaged by teeth ona cog driven by the motor. This construction provides an inexpensivealternative to the use of a toothed wheel on the drum and theperformance of the belt has, surprisingly, been found not to beadversely affected by the fact that it is inverted.

The code on the articles is preferably a bar code. To read a bar code,it is necessary to be able to scan the bar code optically. The use of adrum enables the reading of the bar codes in a simple manner in that thedrum may drive the bar code at constant speed past a stationary reader.It is necessary to allow enough distance for the drum to reach a steadyspeed before reading is effected.

As an alternative to the use of a light pen, the bar code may be imagedonto a camera so that its image may be scanned electronically ratherthan mechanically. The camera may conveniently comprise a charge coupleddevice.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a dispensing machine of the invention designedespecially for the rental of video cassettes,

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the machine shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a partial plan view of the magazine drum used in theembodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 4 shows schematically the shutters associated with the dispensingapertures.

The machine comprises an outer casing 10 resembling, for example, thatof a conventional drinks dispensing machine. To the left, on the frontof the casing, there is present a slot 12 for receiving an encoded cardand a second slot 14 for receiving coins.

A keyboard 16 is arranged near eye level, adjacent a display unit 18which may be an LCD or an LED display. The keyboard and display providethe means by which communication can take place between the user and themicro-computer within the machine. The latter is not shown in thedrawings nor is a printer driven by the micro-computer but both theseare conventional items and need not be described in the context of thepresent application.

Beneath the display 18 and keyboard 16, there are arranged twovertically spaced shuttered apertures 20 and 22 from which videocassettes are dispensed in the manner to be described in more detailbelow.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1 is a recess 24 for receiving a cataloguelisting the available films but this may instead be a display board suchas currently in use on juke boxes.

Referring now to the section shown in FIG. 2, there is disposed behindthe front panel of the casing 10 a subframe 30 carrying a magazine drum32 with its axis 34 inclined to the horizontal. Because of thisinclination any cassettes carried by the drum 32 tend to fall towardsthe back of the drum 32.

The drum 32 is composed, as shown in FIG. 3, of individual cassettecontainers 322 and 324 arranged side by side on two diameters, eachcontainer being large enough to contain a cassette while held within atransparent case. The cassettes are dispensed in cases, and the latterare transparent to enable a code written on the cassette itself to beread. As an alternative the cases for the cassettes may have only atransparent window aligned with the bar code on the cassettes or theymay be provided with a cut-out at such location.

Between the two rows of containers 322, 324 there are disposed bar codereaders 330 these being arranged on a radius circumferentially staggeredfrom the dispensing apertures and being shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

The drum 32 is journalled about its outer circumference on the subframe30 and has a hub engaged by an electric motor and gearbox 332 shown indotted lines in FIG. 1 but not shown in the section of FIG. 2. The hubhas about its outer circumference, not shown, a toothed belt which isturned inside out and secured to the hub by means of rivets. The hubthus acts as a large gear wheel and engages directly a cog on the outputof motor driven gearbox. The motor shaft is fitted with a shaft encoderwhich is connected to the micro-computer and the motor current is inturn controlled by the output of the micro-computer.

The identification card to be inserted in the slot 12 may bemagnetically encoded. However, because a bar code reader is alreadypresent to identify the cassettes and the decoding program is alreadypresent in the computer, it is preferred that the user cards should alsocarry optical bar codes. The coin freed mechanism may be conventionaland need not therefore be described in detail.

The apertures for dispensing the cassettes are opened and closed by ashutter shown in FIG. 4. The shutter is in the form of a sector plate 40having apertures 42 and 44 of the same size as the dispensing apertures20 and 22. The apertures 42, 44 in the sector plate 40 may beselectively aligned with the respective apertures 20 and 22 and 44 inthe front plate of the machine by pivoting the sector plate betweenthree click stop positions determined by stops or ball catches 46. Itcan readily be seen that the apertures are either both closed or one maybe opened at one time by pivoting the sector plate to the left or rightof its centre position.

The sector plate 40 is sufficiently strong to be tamper proof and ispreferably driven by a second motor acting through a worm gear. Such adrive mechanism provides high torque and can also act as a brakepreventing forcing of the sector plate. However, because of the veryhigh torque there is a risk of damage being caused to anything trappedin the apertures 20, 22 while the motor is energised. It is thereforepreferred that a further trap door or flap be provided on each aperture20, 22 associated with a switch which is only closed when the flapcovers the aperture entirely. This safety interlock can ensure that theuser's fingers are away from the danger zone before the motor can beenergised. The flap may be spring or gravity biassed into a closedposition.

The electronic controls of the machine can be implemented by means of aspecially designed circuit but it is more convenient to employ amicro-computer, which are available inexpensively, to perform all thelogic controls. The computer can be programmed in machine code or asuitable computer language and detailed description of the program isnot therefore deemed to be required and clear to a person skilled in theart of programming from the mode of operation of the machine which willnow be described and from which it is readily possible to construct aflow chart for designing the program.

In the description that now follows, it will be assumed that eachauthorised user is issued previously with an identification card andidentification code and that any user can only borrow one cassette at atime.

After each dispensing cycle, the drum is returned to a rest or datumposition which can be identified by a position encoder on the drum or onthe shaft of the motor or gearbox driving the drum 32. As the drumrotates, the pulses emitted by the shaft encoder are counted and fromthis the angular position of the drum at any moment in time can bedetermined with accuracy. The return to a datum position avoids thepossibility of developing a cumulative error.

With the drum in the datum position, the next user is permitted to enterhis identification card into slot 12 to commence a new dispensing cycle.A switch within the card reader, which is itself conventional and neednot be described in detail, signals to the computer that a card has beeninserted. The computer now controls the card reader to read the codefrom the card and records the code in its volatile memory.

Before any access is allowed, it is necessary for the user to enterthrough the keyboard 16 his personal identification code known only tohim and which matches the code read from the card in the slot 12. If thecorrect code is entered then the cycle continues, otherwise the userwill be asked to re-enter his personal identification code. If severalattempts are unsuccessful, it is possible for the card to be confiscatedeliminating the possibility of a code of a stolen card being derivedfrom trial and error.

Once the user has correctly identified himself, the computer searchesthough its memory to establish if the user has already borrowed acassette. If not, it is assumed that the machine is to operate in adispensing mode. However, as any user may only borrow one cassette at atime, if he already has a cassette on hire then it is assumed that he isreturning it and accordingly the machine operates in a receiving mode.Each of these modes will now be considered separately.

Assuming that no cassette is on hire to the user then the user is askedto make his selection of cassette through the keyboard 16. The memory ofthe computer stores information on all available cassettes and canindicate to the user immediately if the cassette is already on hire. Ifso, the user may either make a further selection or abort, his cardbeing returned to him in the latter case.

If the cassette requested is available, then the next step is to promptthe user with the amount required to be placed in the coin freedmechanism 14. If the incorrect amount is placed in the machine it can berefunded or change given but no cassette can be dispensed until thecorrect payment has been made into the machine. It is mentioned herethat on occasions a dispensing cycle can be commenced but cannot becompleted, such as if the user finds he has insufficient change. Toprevent the machine becoming ineffective, the computer contains a realtime clock and a cycle can be automatically terminated if thetransaction is not completed with a given time. At the end of such time,the card can either be returned or retained by the card reader.

If selection of an available cassette has been made and the correctpayment made, the computer, knowing the container 322, 324 of the drumallocated for that cassette, energises the drum motor until theappropriate container is aligned with one or other of the two apertures20, 22. The computer constantly compares the count from the shaftencoder with the desired count and stops the drum motor 332 when thealigned position is reached. The shutter motor is then operated to openthe appropriate aperture 20, 22 and at this point the user may removethe cassette from the container.

After removal of the cassette, the container should be empty and ifdesired this can now be verified by driving the drum 32 until thecontainer from which the cassette has been removed reaches the bar codereaders 330. If a bar code is successfully read it may either be thatthe cassette has not been withdrawn for some reason or that anotherincorrect cassette has been erroneously put in its place. In eitherevent the drum will be returned to re-align the container 322, 324 withthe dispensing aperture and user will be asked to remove the cassette.

Once the container has been found as expected to be empty, the drum isreturned to its datum position and the user's card will be returned tohim by the card reader.

The computer now updates its memory to indicate that the cassette is outon hire, the code of the user in possession of the cassette, the time ofthe rental and if desired the amount paid. This information is alsopreferably printed out on a printer within the machine or transferred tosome other non-volatile memory such as a magnetic recording medium.

It is possible that the code of the user may serve to indicate that theuser is a minor not eligible to hire certain categories of cassette. Inthis case, the computer may indicate that the selection is not availablein the same way as if it were on hire at the time of the request. Thecategories of the cassettes can of course also be indicated by their barcodes.

Assuming now that the cassette previously hired is to be returned by theuser. After inserting his card and entering his identification code, thecomputer can search its memory to establish that not only is there acassette out on hire to that user but also which cassette and when itwas hired out. If the return is overdue, it is possible to make afurther request for payment or a record may be made of the lateness sothat persistent offenders may be warned.

The computer now knowing the container to which the cassette is to bereturned rotates the drum from its datum position and on reaching thedesired position opens the shutter 40 so that the cassette may bereplaced in its proper position. Because of the slope of the containers,the cassette will slide to the back of the container. After closing ofthe safety interlock flap, the shutter closes and the drum is rotateduntil the returned cassette passes by the bar code readers 330. If theincorrect cassette, or an empty cassette case, has been returned thedrum returns to the correct position and the user is again asked toinsert the correct cassette. Failure to return the correct cassetteafter several attempts would result in the user's card beingconfiscated.

If the correct cassette is identified, the card user's card is returnedto him, the drum is returned to the datum position and the computerrecords are updated both in memory and on the printer to indicate thatthe cassette just returned is now again available for hire and that theuser no longer has a cassette on hire.

It is alternatively possible to ask if the user wishes to rent anothercassette before the card is returned in order to save the user having torepeat the entire procedure of personal identification.

Because all the rental particulars are available on computer, it ispossible to produce management information indicate the most popularcassettes and other trends such as slack periods etc. The operator maythen select his stock of cassettes more frequently to maximise returns.The operator may also choose to vary his pricing policy, offeringdiscounts during slack periods. The latter is made possible because ofthe presence of a real time clock in the machine and the facility ofaltering the rental charge under software control.

We claim:
 1. Apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental andaccepting returned articles, comprising:means for enabling a user toenter a unique identification code, means for verifying the code enteredto inhibit dispensing to unauthorized users, means for enabling paymentfor rental to be made, means for enabling a user to select from amongstthe articles available for rental, a magazine having a plurality ofcompartments each for receiving a respective one of the articles forrental, the magazine being constructed as a cylindrical drum with tworadially spaced rows of radially extending compartments for theindividual articles, means defining two separate dispensing aperturesformed in line with one another, a sector shaped plate for controllingthe dispensing apertures, the sector shaped plate being formed withoffset apertures and being pivotable between three positions, bothapertures being closed in one position, and a respective one of theapertures being open in each of the other two positions, means formoving the magazine relative to the dispensing apertures to align with adispensing aperture the magazine compartment containing the selectedarticle, and means for recording data indicating the identity of theuser and the selected article, the apparatus further comprising: meansfor reading from the recorded data the article previously hired to anidentified user, means for moving the magazine to align with adispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the articlepreviously hired to the identified user, means operative after insertionof the article into the compartment by the user to read a code on thearticle identifying the returned article, and means for recording thereturn of the rented article when the article code corresponds with thatread from the recorded data.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe means for entering a unique identification code comprise an encodedcard issued to authorized users, means for reading data recorded on thecard and a keyboard for manual entry of a codeword, access to theapparatus being possible only when the codeword corresponds with thedata recorded on the card.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe means for enabling payment to be made comprise a coin freedmechanism.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording ofdata is carried out on a programmable microcomputer within thedispensing apparatus.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein aclock is provided for indicating the time of transactions.
 6. Apparatusas claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a display unit forconveying information to the user.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1,further including means for permanently recording at least some of thedata.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a toothed belt issecured to the outer circumference of the drum, the teeth of the beltpointing radially outwards and engaging directly with the teeth of amotor driven cog.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the codeson the articles are bar codes.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the means for enabling a user to enter a unique identificationcode comprise an encoded card issued to an authorized user, means forreading data recorded on a user's card, and means for manual entry of acodeword, and the means for verifying the code comprise means forcomparing the manually-entered codeword with data read from the card andinhibiting dispensing in the event that the codeword does not match dataread from the card, and wherein there are at least two categories ofarticle and the apparatus further comprises means for preventingarticles of a predetermined category from being dispensed to anauthorized user if the data read from the user's card includes adisabling code, while permitting articles of other categories to bedispensed to the authorized user.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the magazine has a central axis which is inclined to thehorizontal at an acute angle, and the means for moving the magazinerelative to the dispensing apertures comprise means for rotating themagazine about its central axis.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 11,wherein the dispensing apertures are disposed for allowing an article tobe removed from or replaced in its compartment by moving the articlethrough the respective aperture in a direction parallel to said centralaxis.
 13. Apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental andaccepting returned articles, comprising:means for enabling a user toenter a unique identification code, means for verifying the code enteredto inhibit dispensing to unauthorized users, means for enabling paymentfor rental to be made, means for enabling a user to select from amongstthe articles available for rental, a magazine having a plurality ofcompartments each for receiving a respective one of the articles forrental, the magazine being constructed as a cylindrical drum with atleast first and second rows of compartments for the individual articles,the first row being at a first radial distance and the second row beingat a second radial distance greater than the first radial distance, andthe cylindrical drum having a central axis inclined to the horizontal atan acute angle, means for rotating the cylindrical drum about itscentral axis, whereby the magazine is moved relative to a dispensingaperture to align the magazine compartment containing the selectedarticle with the dispensing aperture, which is positioned to allow anarticle to be removed from its compartment by moving the article throughthe aperture in a direction parallel to said central axis, means forrecording data indicating the identity of the user and the selectedarticle, means for reading from the recorded data the article previouslyhired to an identified user, means for moving the magazine to align withthe dispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the articlepreviously hired to the identified user, whereby the article can bereplaced in its compartment by moving the article through the aperturein a direction parallel to said central axis, means operative afterinsertion of the article into the compartment by the user to read a codeon the article identifying the returned article, and means for recordingthe return of the rented article when the article code corresponds withthe read from the recorded data.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 13,wherein the means for enabling a user to enter a unique identificationcode comprise an encoded card issued to an authorized user, means forreading data recorded on a user's card, and means for manual entry of acodeword, and the means for verifying the code comprise means forcomparing the manually-entered codeword with data read from the card andinhibiting dispensing in the event that the codeword does not match dataread from the card.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein thereare at least two categories of article and the apparatus furthercomprises means for preventing articles of one category from beingdispensed to an authorized user if the data read from the user's cardincludes a disabling code while permitting articles of other categoriesto be dispensed to the authorized user.
 16. Apparatus capable ofdispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles,comprising:a magazine having a plurality of compartments each forreceiving a respective one of the articles for rental, there being atleast two categories of articles, and the magazine having a central axisinclined to the horizontal at an acute angle, an encoded card issued toan authorized user, means for reading data recorded on a user's card,means for manual entry of a codeword, means for comparing themanually-entered codeword with data read from the card and inhibitingdispensing in the event that the codeword does not match data read fromthe card, means for preventing articles of a predetermined category frombeing dispensed to an authorized user if the data read from the user'scard includes a disabling code while permitting articles of othercategories to be dispensed to the authorized user, means for enablingpayment for rental to be made, means for enabling a user to select fromamongst the articles available for rental, means for rotating themagazine about its central axis, whereby the magazine is moved relativeto a dispensing aperture to align the magazine compartment containingthe selected article with the dispensing aperture, which is positionedto allow an article to be removed from its compartment by moving thearticle through the aperture in a direction parallel to said centralaxis, means for recording data indicating the identity of the user andthe selected article, means for reading from the recorded data thearticle previously hired to an identified user, means for moving themagazine to align with the dispensing aperture the empty compartment forcontaining the article previously hired to the identified user, wherebythe article can be replaced in its compartment by moving the articlethrough the aperture in a direction parallel to said central axis, meansoperative after insertion of the article into the compartment by theuser to read a code on the article identifying the returned article, andmeans for recording the return of the rented article when the articlecode corresponds with that read from the recorded data.
 17. Apparatusaccording to claim 16, wherein the articles are videotape cassettes andthe disabling code is included in the cards of users who are youngerthan a predetermined age.
 18. Apparatus capable of dispensing articlesfor rental and accepting returned articles, comprising:a magazine havinga plurality of compartments each for receiving a respective one of thearticles for rental, there being at least two categories of articles, anencoded card issued to an authorized user, means for reading datarecorded on a user's card, means for manual entry of a codeword, meansfor comparing the manually-entered codeword with data read from the cardand inhibiting dispensing in the event that the codeword does not matchdata read from the card, means for preventing articles of apredetermined category from being dispensed to an authorized user if thedata read from the user's card includes a disabling code whilepermitting articles of other categories to be dispensed to theauthorized user, means for enabling payment for rental to be made, meansfor enabling a user to select from amongst the articles available forrental, means for moving the magazine relative to a dispensing apertureto align the magazine compartment containing the selected article withthe dispensing aperture, which is constructed as two separate aperturesformed in line with one another, a sector-shaped plate for controllingthe two apertures, said sector-shaped plate being formed with offsetapertures and being pivotable between three positions, both aperturesbeing closed in one position and a respective one of the apertures beingopen in each of the other two positions, means for recording dataindicating the identity of the user and the selected article, means forreading from the recorded data the article previously hired to anidentified user, means for moving the magazine to align with thedispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the articlepreviously hired to the identified user, means operative after insertionof the article into the compartment by the user to read a code on thearticle identifying the returned article, and means for recording thereturn of the rented article when the article code corresponds with thatread from the recorded data.
 19. Apparatus according to claim 18,wherein the magazine has a central axis and the means for moving themagazine comprise means for rotating the magazine about its centralaxis.
 20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the magazine isdisposed with its central axis inclined to the horizontal at an acuteangle and the dispensing aperture is positioned to allow an article tobe removed from, or replaced in, its compartment by moving the articlethrough the aperture in a direction parallel to said central axis. 21.Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the articles are videotapecassettes and the disabling code is included in the cards of users whoare younger than a predetermined age.